Obesity is one of the most serious public health problems today. In addition to being one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, obesity is associated with many serious medical conditions, including congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, diabetes, infertility, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, fatty liver disease, breathing difficulties, osteoarthritis, and some forms of cancer.
The first-line treatment for obesity remains dieting and physical exercise, although the success rate for such regimens is low. The most effective treatment is currently bariatric surgery, in which the size of the stomach is reduced by one of several different means. Bariatric surgery is an expensive treatment, however, and the potential complications, including incisional hernia, infections, and pneumonia, can be serious. In addition, the mortality rate with bariatric surgery is about 2 in 1000.
There is a clear need for less costly and invasive alternative treatments for obesity.